


Inheritance

by warlock_female



Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: F/M, Gen, at least not at the moment, fandom violence, violence but nothing really horrible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warlock_female/pseuds/warlock_female
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anahit had grown up with tales of the famous surrounding her. Too bad all the stories of heroes never told her leaving food out attracted bears and monsters or that sometimes the only ones you can really trust are the ones called mad and immoral. With a bounty on her head and a team of what can only be called motley at best Anahit wonders if she'll last the year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Chapter One**

 

_1358 DR_

 

Anahit didn’t like most of the visitors that came to Candlekeep. Firebead was nice and he came by so often that the girl considered him one of the monks. Travelling merchants also weren’t much of a problem the few times they were allowed inside of the gates as they were always more interested in selling their ware then bothering anyone. Anahit didn’t even really mind the friends of her foster father when they visited, even though each time she had to act like a lady and put up with being told how much she had grown because they sometimes brought something interesting for the hin-dwarf to play with or even an entire book just for her!

 

The nobles that came down were the problem. Anahit wondered why they were allowed in and had complained to her father about it not too long ago. Gorion had reminded her that visitors from noble families usually brought some of the oldest tomes, as though that made anything better. Most of the nobles complained the whole time that they were visiting; about the beds or the food or even about Anahit being underneath as they thought that they shouldn’t have to deal with children on their vacation, or even worse (in Anahit’s mind) always seemed to rope her into ‘playing’ with their offspring.

 

“Whatever, you’re just a fat dwarf with hairy feet!” a boy with straw colored hair jeered at Anahit. The hin-dwarf clenched her fists and glared back, not caring that he stood a whole half foot taller.

 

“At least I don’t have a fat nose!” the girl retorted as she attempted to hide her feet underneath her dress without anyone noticing. “And I get to run outside without shoes, so nyah!”

 

“Fat hairy dwarf! Fat hairy dwarf!” The boy chanted as he jumped up and down, pointing at Anahit. “You’re father just told you that you’re part Halfling! Really you’re just hairy! I bet you’ll wake up and hair will come out of your nose you’re so hairy!” With tears forming in her eyes Anahit struck out against the boy, her hand slamming against his nose in anger. The boy began to cry, his loud sobs echoing through the inn as Anahit stared in shock at the blood squirting out from between his fingers.

 

Violence was forbidden inside the doors of Candlekeep. Those who shed the blood of another were quickly handed over to the guards and transported to Baldur’s Gate. The hin-dwarf child felt fear creeping into her, would they put her in prison? Would Gorion let them take her away from him? Would he send her away himself out of anger?

 

“Anahit? ANAHIT?” At the sound of her father’s voice the girl burst into her own sobs. The mage burst into the room, his greyed hair in disarray and face pale.

 

“I’m sorry!” Anahit wailed, “I didn’t mean to hurt him!”

 

Gorion scooped up his daughter and began to run out of the inn to the library, ignoring the still sobbing boy. Anahit had never seen her foster father run, not even the time when someone had accidently summoned a cloud of imps. Yet he was now racing across the grounds of Candlekeep, and even stranger so was everyone else. He was also not answering her questions, he always answered her questions!

 

“Daddy?” Anahit whimpered, her fingers clenching Gorion’s robes in fear. “Daddy?”

 

“Stay inside of my room child. Don’t venture out no matter what you hear, alright?” Gorion placed the small girl on top of his bed, brushing away her hair from her face with a strained smile. “Don’t worry, I will be back soon with food and toys for you.” Anahit nodded, watching as her father strode away and tightly shut the door.

 

X  X  X

 

Two days later the first mob came to Candlekeep. Anahit had been learning how to translate Riftspeak by Gorion when the sounds of screaming had started. Gorion had gone pale white and hurried down the stairs as Anahit bounded to the window, curious to see just what was happening. The sight of so many people was a strange one, even the merchant caravans that passed by had never had so many people. And these people were different, they wore clothing unlike anything else that Anahit could recall seeing before in her life; coarse, undyed cloth for the most part and undecorated.

“Go home!” Uleraunt bellowed from inside of the Candlekeep gates. “We do not have the answers for you here! Go home and tend your farms until everything has passed!”

“You have the prophesies in there!” a voice bellowed back from the crowd. “Tell us what is going to happen or we’ll burn the place to the ground!”

“Oghma guards this place!”

“THE GODS ARE DEAD! THEY PROTECT NOTHING!” Anahit shrunk back, mind whirling. The Gods dead? No, Gorion would have said something if it had been that. But no one was protesting the man’s words. In fact the entire crowd of people was shouting the same words as him. Anahit felt tears forming in her eyes as the shouting between the two groups of people became even more fever pitched. She prayed as Gorion had taught her, prayed to any god that would listen to hear her and answer, just a small answer.

Outside Uleraunt bellowed at the guards to open fire. The crowd of people outside of the gates screamed as arrows buried into them. Some ran, others just became more agitated and rushed at the gates.

“Get away from the window child,” Firebead’s hands clasped Anahit’s shoulders forcing her to look away. The small child was hiccupping in her attempt not to cry by now as the mage gently lead her back to Gorion’s room. “Would you like me to tell you a story?”

“Can it be happy?” Anahit clung to the man’s hand as he smiled and began to tell a story about a brave mage/cleric and his quest to stop a red dragon from harming people. Later on in the day Gorion also came in and told stories and Anahit almost could stop herself from smelling burning flesh.

 

X X X X

 

 

_1368 DR_

 

Gorion stared down at the sheets of paper laid before him. Inside of his mind the old mage was already going through the escape plans that he had worked on for almost twenty years. Choosing the best routes out of Candlekeep, trying to decide which cities would be the easiest to blend into.

But inside of those thoughts a small voice kept protesting “ _she’s too young!”_

“I am sorry to bring such bad news,” Firebead looked out the window of the study. “Many of the other Harpers think that-“

“Most of the other Harpers have sticks up their ass and a head of their own importance!” Winthrop snapped. “They’d rather kill the girls themselves just in case!”

Gorion looked out the window to where Firebead was staring. Two young women sat on the railing of one of the cow pens reading over a book and pointing out bits to one another. The old human felt his lips lift a bit as he realized that it was yet another tome from the bit of the library forbidden to anyone but those deemed worthy by Uleraunt.

“We have to make it appear that only Anahit is a Bhaalspawn. I’ll have Imoen check stock, she’ll sneak out and think no one’ll notice for hours.” Winthrop began to make a list as he kept on murmuring. “Make sure to bring some ale Gorion! Anahit’ll need something to keep her warm when it gets chilly!” Right. Anahit hated the cold. Ever since she had been a toddler the dwarfling had made sure to burrow inside of as many blankets as she could find.

Gorion forced himself to stand up and open the window. “Anahit, I need you to come here.”

 

XXXX

 

Anahit had not been happy with the sudden news that they were going to be leaving in an hour. Of course she hadn’t complained too much to Gorion but her foster father heard her telling Imoen how unfair it was as the two young women left.

Girls. They were still girls in Gorion’s mind. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell Anahit the reason behind their sudden flight out of Candlekeep. It felt like yesterday she had been begging the cooks for sweets, how could he tell Anahit that someone hated her just for existing? That someone she had never offended had placed a bounty on her head? So when she had appeared scowling and with a rucksack around her shoulder Gorion had just told her that they needed to go.

“Hurry child.” _Oh my darling little girl. I’m so sorry._ “We have a long way to go.”  _I’ll take her to Blackstaff. He has children. He’ll understand._ A crack of sticks under heavy feet, the smell of ogre, whisper of steel coming out. So things would come to a head here in the middle of the empty forest.

No

No. Gorion wouldn’t allow it to happen. The monstrously human man was demanding her. Demanding the little girl that Gorion had sung to sleep. She had fit into his hands when first born. The tiny babe crying for her dead mother as the midwives wrapped the body in cloth. Better for Anahit to hate him forever then to die out here.

_I’m sorry._ The charm spell hit her and he yelled at her to run; yelled loud enough that Imoen would also hear and prayed that the taller girl wouldn’t be foolish enough to jump into battle. The ogres went down with powerful spells; the woman was brought to her knees from a few hits. The man bellowed as she fell. So even monsters had loved ones.

_If you can hear me Mystra guard my daughter. Deneir lead your charge from danger._ No prayers for himself, he had already grown older than most men. _Please don’t let my lack of training get her killed._

Gorion’s last thought was to wonder if Anahit had packed enough food.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 

 _Coward_ a voice inside of Anahit’s head taunted as the brown haired woman trudged down the road with a tight grip on Imoen’s wrist. In such dark weather even Anahit couldn’t see more than inches and with the threat of whatever had killed Gorion they had to keep moving. Even if each step was like lifting a rock and she wanted to do nothing more than curl up onto the ground and bawl like a small child, Anahit needed to get herself and Imoen someplace safe.

They couldn’t go back to Candlekeep. They could be killed right by the gates and the guards wouldn’t be allowed to help the either women out. She had no idea how far it was to the nearest town, or even if they would be following the right road to get someplace with lots of people or if it was a path leading to a troll den. Gorion had always told Anahit that she had to think things over, usually after she had managed to get some of the more uptight monks angry at her. Anahit tried to think of what her foster father would do if he was still there but all Anahit could think about was how her foster father had been left alone because someone had wanted her dead.

“I have to get you someplace safe,” the long haired dwarfling muttered out loud.

“You mean get us someplace safe, right?” Imoen panted. “How far until we can rest?”

“I can’t let you stay with me. That guy who k-killed Gorion said we wanted me. You’re not safe-“ Anahit was yanked backwards as Imoen came to a sudden stop. “We need to keep moving Imoen! I have to get you someplace before he-“

“I’m not leaving you!” Imoen snapped, grabbing ahold of Anahit’s shoulders to spin her around so that the two young women were looking at one another. “What do you think I’d let a friend stumble around alone with someone trying to kill her?”

“Are you crazy? They killed Gorion, how are you going to stay safe?” Anahit’s eyes started to water as images of Imoen sharing Gorion’s fate flashed through her mind. The dwarfling looked away and tried to furtively wipe the tears away.

“Hey,” Imoen placed a hand on Anahit’s shoulder. “I’m here ok? Besides now you know that someone is looking for you and what he looks like. Besides there’s safety in numbers right? Just leave it up to Imoen the Wonderful and her trusty bow!” Anahit gave a hiccupping laugh. She knew that she should be protesting Imoen following along, that she should leave the purple and pink clad woman in the net town; but Anahit wasn’t sure that she would be able to keep moving along without Imoen being right behind her.

“Ok Lady Wonderful, let’s get going.” Anahit tried to smile back but wasn’t sure that her lips did more movement than a quiver on the edges.

 

X X X

 

Anahit had no idea how humans managed to survive without low light vision. Not only had she been leading Imoen around the road but the auburn haired woman hadn’t even seen the movement ahead of them.

“Hey what’ve you stopped?” Imoen asked in a loud voice. Anahit winced as the creatures screamed at the sudden noise before starting to rush the two travelers. “Oh shit!”

“Aim for the noise!” Anahit hollered back as she yanked her crossbow into her arms and aimed for the monsters. She really had no idea what was attacking them but the hin-dwarf was pretty sure that shooting them in the head or neck would at least slow them down. Finally all of the ‘target practice’ shooting rats in storage rooms was starting to pay off.

Bright light smashed into one of the creatures, lighting up the area as it went down with the smell of burning flesh followed by another volley of magic missiles. The monster that Anahit had been firing bolts into finally went down and the smaller woman slowly walked up to them. What had seemed like a small herd ended up being three sickly looking gibblings; one cut down by Anahit’s crossbow and two laying on the ground from whatever Imoen had hit them with.

“How did you do that?” Anahit asked as she eyed the dead monsters just in case one of them decided to get up and attack again. “Learned magic and forgot to tell me?” The brown haired woman tried to sound joking as she nudged one of the smoking gibblings with her foot.

“What? Oh um.. I may have… sorta borrowed this wand from someone.” Just like the two had been borrowing books from the forbidden areas of the library just yesterday, hopefully it had just been one of the more stuffy monks. “So um.. is it just me or is there a light over that way?”

“You don’t need to try and talk your way out of things with me,” Anahit rolled her eyes even though there was no way the taller woman would have been able to see the movement on the moonless night. “Come on, who stood as lookout when that bratty-“

“No really, I think I see a light!” There was a light of some sort, though not big enough to be a town or inn. Perhaps a farmhouse or camp? “We should go check it out, they have to help us, it’s the unwritten rule of the road!”

“The unwritten rule of the road?”

“Yeah! Every time that two parties of adventurers meet they have to share food and stories, it always happens in books!” Anahit could also recall a few stories that ended with the travelers killing one another over something stupid like a riddle game but she was hungry, tired, and lost enough that the decision was an easy one to make.

“Alright, we’re going in slowly. If it looks like the- If it looks like danger we’re going around.” The two young women crept into the trees and bushes, Anahit letting go of her friend’s arm once she figured that the light from the fire was enough that Imoen wouldn’t be tripping over her own feet in the dark. Of course she was so caught up in making sure that Imoen wasn’t going to make any noise that Anahit forgot to check her own feet. Or perhaps the trap trigger had been very well hidden, either way the long haired dwarfling found herself falling to the ground as something tightened around her foot.

“HA! Told ya my trap’ll work wizard!” A male voice bellowed out from the camp. Anahit tried frantically to roll over and get the trap off as Imoen dropped to one foot. “Let’s go finish ‘em off so I can get some sleep!”

“Wait! NO!” Imoen and Anahit shrieked. “We’re not gibblings! We come in peace!” Imoen kept on going as Anahit’s hand went for blade at her belt. She doubted that whoever had set traps around their camp was going to just come on over and-

“Oh by Sune’s left tit! Now we have children wondering all around the place.” Anahit gaped at the colorful words as a halfling man appeared from the shadows as if he’d been hidden by an invisibility spell and gave a yank onto the trap that had it falling apart in seconds. Anahit slowly got to her feet hoping that he wouldn’t decide to kill them with the short sword in his left hand. “Let me guess, you’re going to find a cave with treasure in it and end all of your village troubles with it.” The halfing man spat onto the ground. “Well it ain’t gonna happen, so go home.”

“W-we can’t go home,” Anahit felt her lip starting to quiver. “M-my father was killed and we can’t go back s-so.” Her eyes started to water again but Anahit fought the tears back. “We don’t know where we are and just hoped that you could tell us how to get to the nearest town.” By the Gods, could she be even more pathetic sounding?

“Mony are you scaring children again?” Someone’s arms snaked around Anahit’s neck and she found herself being yanked backwards into someone. “Tell Uncle Xzar allllll about it!”

“Shut up mage,” Monty snapped as his sword finally went back into the sheath. “Tis not my fault if children go wondering with no sense.” Anahit gave Imoen a pleading look but the human girl looked like she was thinking of just running away.

“Do you need a beeeed? Or maybe a job?”

“Er. What sort of job?” Anahit asked hoping that it wouldn’t be anything bad. If they were going to try and force themselves onto her and Imoen wouldn’t they have already done so? And she did need the money.

“We’re going to save the world!” The brown haired dwarfling finally managed to get free and placed herself safely with her back against a tree. “Come along little children and earn riches beyond your wildest dream! Well unless you dream of chocolate planets.” Children Anahit’s ass, the mage didn’t look much older than Imoen.

“Er, what sort of job is it?” This time Anahit looked at Monty in hopes that he wasn’t the rambling type.

“Yer job would be to go with us into the Nashkell mines and see who be destroying the iron.” Anahit thanks the Gods that she had been listening to the rumor mill in Candlekeep so she could nod her head and not make ‘Monty’ think she knew nothing.

“Oooh! You mean that you’re both heros?” Both men looked pained at Imoen’s question.

“Yes… we’re heros. Off to help people,” the halfling looked like the words psychically hurt him to spit out and even more pained at the noise of excitement from Imoen.

 

X X X

 

Strangely enough both men had insisted on the girls sharing the one tent while they rather gentlemanly slept outside in the rain; though Anahit had a feeling that Montaron (he’d nearly had a fit when she’d called him Monty) has insisted for strategic purposes. Xzar, on the other hand, had flopped over next to the fire and fallen asleep instantly. Imoen had placed a blanket over the mage before the girls had crept into the tent.

“Anahit? I’m not sure I trust them,” Imoen muttered sleepily.

“They’re not trying to kill us. And I don’t have much money. It’s not that far to Nashkell, right?” Anahit thought about the maps that they had poured over as children. Making up stories about how they would someday visit and steal all the jewels from the fattened rich and give half of it to the poor before building houses made of sugar and chocolate with giant bookcases filled with books both common and forbidden. “Maybe we could just do this and find a way back to Candlekeep.”

“Don’t wanna go back. Wanna go to Baldur’s Gate.”

The dwarfling felt her own eyes starting to slide shut. Her entire body felt like it was made of stone and dispite the fact that only a few hours ago she had started running for her life Anahit felt somewhat safe in the small tent with two strange and most likely dangarious men outside. “’k. Baldur’s Gate.”

“Or Waterdeep,” Imoen snuggled close to Anahit. “Wanna start own guild.” The auburn haired human started to snore.

“Waterdeep or Baldur’s Gate. I promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 

_I can’t write Montaron’s accent to save my life._

 

It was really poor manners to go through people’s stuff. Gorion and Winthrop had always told their daughters that snooping into guest’s belongings was wrong, many of the other monks had insisted that if either girl was ever caught with anything of value on them that the guards would be locking them away for years if not banishing the two. Hull had even made a point of reading the punishments for crimes out loud during one memorable lunch.

So, thievery or even looking through people’s things to see what was valuable was wrong.

But really, if Montaron was going to go off and bath while Xzar was still sleeping deeply what really could Imoen and Anahit do with two tempting packs just sitting there? It wasn’t as though either girl would take anything. They just wanted to know more about their new friends and Anahit needed something to keep her mind away from Gorion.

“More dried meat wrapped in twine. Man this guy doesn’t pack anything interesting. I thought for sure he’d have some cool poisons or something.” Imoen shook a small leather pouch but it only gave off whiffs of tobacco that reminded Anahit too much of the monks in the evening as they got together to eat and share what they had found in the tomes during the day. The dwarfling held back a sniffle at the thought and instead began to gather up Montaron’s property to stuff back into his pack.

“Monty knows poison causes problems with my potions. Not that I mind, but for some reason people find turning blue to be… unsettling.” It was only years of being caught before that kept Anahit from screaming as Xzar threw himself next to the two girls in a small cloud of dust and dry grass.

“Oh hi Xzar! We thought we saw a mouse go into Montaron’s pack and-“ Imoen’s words were broken off by the light brown haired man’s lazy wave of his hand.

“Monty already looked through your stuff last night. And I looked in it this morning. Don’t worry, I made sure to not look at your underclothing as I tossed them around!” Anahit had known that her stuff had been folded nicer than usual when she had gotten dressed!

Imoen and Anahit exchanged looks before deciding to glare at the man. “You shouldn’t go through a woman’s underclothing!” Imoen managed the same tone as some of the more stuffy monks when the girls had asked about ‘grown up’ stuff years ago.

“But you’re going through Monty’s underclothing,” Xzar flicked at a bug above him with one finger.

“Well you must not have gone through his stuff because he doesn’t have any underclothing!” Imoen blew a raspberry at the man who raised an eyebrow at her as Anahit really tried to wash the mental image out of her brain.

“Hand over your pack!” Anahit made a leap for the human’s packs. The mage yelped and rolled over the yank it out of her hands. “No! Fair is fair! If you get to look through our underclothing than we get to see your stuff!”

“Noooooo!” Xzar’s scream was high pitched enough to also double as a dog whistle as he ripped the pack away from the dwarfling’s arms. “Monty! Monty! MOMMY!” Imoen tackled him from behind earning another scream and Anahit made a grab at the pack. Xzar gave another high pitched screech before a small knife buried itself next to Anahit’s hand.

 

“We have day wasting!” Montaron snarled at the three of them as Imoen and Anahit leaned against one another giggling. The only boys near their ages had always been nobles; most either so stuck up they thought just breathing the same air was torture or thought that Imoen would be just another notch in their bedposts. It was somewhat gratifying to find out that for all of Xzar’s strangeness he too was smiling over their little tussle; sure the smile looked manic but it was still a smile and he was even nice enough to teach the girls how to get down the tent and fold it up right as Montaron growled at them to get their ‘spoiled little asses in gear and be fucking quiet!”

 

“Why? It’s not as though there’s a lot of monsters in the area,” Anahit pointed out as she finally managed to wrap the oiled cloth up tight. “A few gibblings but the other monsters tend to stay near the hills.” Neither man needed to know that Anahit was just reciting from her lessons.

 

“Yeah, tended ta stay. They’ve been moving around ever since this damned iron shortage happened. People go hungry, hunt for food and the monsters spread out. Plus ya canna go through the roads now without some bandit trying to stick a pole up your ass.” Well wasn’t that was a colorful picture that sprung to Anahit’s mind? The young woman looked around her, at the woods that had held gibblings and giant creatures in black armor and hoped that no one saw her shiver.

 

** ** **

 

When Anahit had read books about adventures they had been filled with action. Princesses and dukes being saved from great evil, daring knights and their swooning lovers slaughtering giant monsters that towered over buildings.

 

No one had ever written anything about how much walking that the daring knights and their swooning lovers had done to get to the monsters. Montaron got angry if any of them started talking too loud (which seemed to be any talking at all at times) and Anahit had found out the hard way that reading and walking was a bad idea if there were either roots or angry gibblings in the area. Imoen had started a game of riddles that had been fun for hours, but even the game had started to grow stale even with Xzar’s rather inventive hints. She had never been forced to keep on walking for hours on end either and by the time that they reached the outskirts of Beregost all that the hin-dwarf wanted to do was find a inn and throw herself into bed.

 

“Why are there so many tents? Is something going on?” Imoen asked bouncing from one foot to another as she looked towards the town. “Doesn’t look like something fun with everyone frowning like that.”

 

“Bandits probably been burning down fields and the wolves have been attacking people lately. Fuck it, means we’ll have a hard time finding a good price for rooms.” Montaron pushed himself past the charred campfires dotting the outer parts of Beregost.

 

“Why aren’t they in town?” Anahit tried not to look at the lined faces of the people around her as she caught up to the halfling who snorted without mirth.

 

“Guards’ll run them outta town tonight. Laws say no one’s allowed to sleep in the streets and by now all the cheap rooms’ll be paid for.”

 

“That’s horrible!” Imoen sounded surprised but Anahit was brought back to years ago and the smell of burning flesh. “Why do people stand it?”

 

“Because bandits aren’t stupid enough to attack towns and wolves haven’t gotten that hungry. Yet,” Montaron came to a stop next to a large stone statue and swore. “Makes it damn impossible for us to get anything good since inns’ll have the prices up.”

 

“That’s horrible!”

 

“It’s life girly. Sooner ya realize that worrying about others isn’t worth anything the richer ya die. Now stay here and let me get a room. Mage YOU stay here and don’t talk to anyone.”

 

“I never talk to anyone,” Xzar looked off into the distance and humming a strange tune. “They all talk to me.” Anahit slid her pack off and gave a sigh of relief. She had made sure to keep it light when first starting off from Candlekeep but after hours of walking the whole thing felt heavier than a horse. Imoen plopped herself against the stone monument while looking at everyone else in the town square. Anahit wondered if they looked all that different from the others fleeing monsters.

 

 _‘Though I guess that’s what we really are’_ The dwarfling tried to shift her thoughts away from the night and focus onto what was going on. She had always wanted to try out pickpocketing once hitting a large enough town or city. But as Montaron had said almost everyone looked poor, not at all like the nobles that had visited Candlekeep or even like the monks; everyone at Candlekeep had been well fed and clothed as long as they worked in one way or another.

 

A poke at Anahit’s ankles pulled her out of her dark thoughts. Looking down at the auburn haired human she raised an eyebrow to see just what had gotten Imoen’s attention.

 

“I think that guy’s looking for someone to help him,” the man did in fact look like he was in need of help. And unlike most of the others walking around he had on brightly dyed yellow clothing which meant that he might have some coin on him. “Let’s go see what he wants!” Anahit weighed the thought for a bit. Montaron might be angry but he wasn’t her boss, plus she and Imoen needed some coin for room and food if what the halfling had said was true.

 

“Ok, I guess it couldn’t hurt.” Anahit gave Xzar a questioning look. The man looked at her and made a point of placing one finger over his lips. “Alright have fun not talking to anybody I guess… Come on Imoen.”

 

“Oh kind sir, do you need any help?” Imoen asked as she bounced up to the man.

 

“Oh fair lady,” he did a little bow and looked into her face with a gentle smile that made Anahit somewhat want to gag. Wonderful first town to hit and already guys were falling all over Immy’s feet. “I do fear that I am indeed in trouble.” Imoen’s answering smile had the dwarfling sighing and hope that the money was going to be worth watching her best friend flirt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Wow it’s been a while since I last updated. So sorry, but between school, real life, and not having internet for a long time I really have not had time or the ability to write/post._

 

Imoen, Anahit thought with relative calm as the barrel she’d just been hiding behind exploded into splinters, was going to get strangled as soon as they managed to get away from the crazy as fuck woman throwing lightning bolts everywhere. The brown haired dwarfling had yet to get a good shot into the woman since Anahit had told Silke that she wasn’t going to go around shooting scared people just because the woman screeched at her.

 

Another thing exploded and Anahit hissed between her teeth as she heard Imoen give off a surprised cry. So far the pink clad human seemed unhurt hit but with the amount of things being destroyed it was only time before Imoen would be wounded.

 

The hin-dwarf looked at her crossbow before setting it down and grabbing for the small dagger on her belt. A birthday present from years ago it, was already showing signs of use from using it to cut off small branches and her practice with the training dummies back in Candlekeep. Anahit took in a deep breath, slowly letting it escape as the words of her trainers echoed in her ears. She had to be able to do this, Silke was as mad as the gibblings had been and more dangerous.

 

The young woman threw up a quick prayer to Deneir and an even quicker one to Tymora just in case before sliding between two crates. Who would have thought that Anahit learning how to use height to get out of chores would get useful so fast once out of the monastery? Silke was snarling out her spells by now, teeth bared in a snarl as she screamed at either of the girls to show their faces. ‘ _Wow not very clever is she?’_ Anahit may not have fought others before but the guards at Candlekeep had always told her to keep calm in a fight.

 

Her opening came soon as Imoen dashed away from a crate and Silke turned, the spell at her lips as Anahit rushed out from her own hiding spot and slammed the dagger hard as she could into the woman’s back hitting into what she really hoped was the kidney. Silke’s concentration fell as she screamed causing Anahit to take a few shaky steps back. “You little BITCH!” The woman’s face was white but she was still moving, her staff just missed Anahit as the smaller woman rolled out of the way. She had hit near the kidney, right? That meant that Silke would have to go down soon! “I’m going to tear you apart and put your head upon a stake!”

 

Both of them were panting though Silke was looking a lot paler than before and if Anahit wasn’t mistaken the woman had started to sway. “Yeah? Well I guess you’ll need something around to make yourself look better. I thought magic users had spells to get rid of wrinkles.” The noise coming out of Silke’s mouth did not sound human but her staff was much easier to get out of the way of than spells. An arrow buried into the woman’s back and she screamed again, half turning to face Imoen. Anahit took the chance and grabbed ahold of her dagger sticking out of Silke’s back, this time ripping it out with a noise that she didn’t want to hear ever again.

 

Silke stumbled, this time the noise coming out of her mouth was a whimper as she fell to the ground. The woman’s eyes focused on Anahit for a long moment, cursing her every being as the dwarfling stood there, blood soaked dagger in hand and heart beating fast. It could have been a second or years before Silke fully fell into the mud that her own blood had created but even if the woman had found the strength to throw another bolt of magic Anahit wasn’t sure that she could have moved.

 

It was different than facing the frothing gibblings, Silke may have been trying to kill them but they had talked to her. Shouldn’t Anahit be feeling something other than relief as Imoen poked her head up?

 

“Oh thank the Gods!” One of the men popped out from behind a barrel to help Imoen to her feet. “That b-woman was a monster! And absolute monster! I don’t know how much money she would have taken from us if you hadn’t arrived.”

 

Trying not to show her annoyance at the men having not helped at all in the fight show on her face Anahit plastered on a smile as Imoen beamed at them. “You’re welcomed. Do you by any chance know of a place in which four people could sleep for the night?” Maybe she could get somewhere to sleep for all of the trouble? THAT would show Montaron!

 

“Er.. we would love to do that.. dwarf? But um… well you see the matters that Silke was blackmailing us about… well let’s just say that it would be awkward to explain to the wife….” The dwarfling took a deep breath and began to slowly count backwards from a hundred. “And neither of us could say that we’re putting you up for a friend. Gossip and all that.”

 

“Yes women do like to gossip,” apparently sarcasm was as wasted on the men as it had been on Uleraunt. “Imoen are you alright?”

 

“I-I think so. She just attacked us! I had to shoot her and-“ the human was shaking and rubbing her arms with her hands. “Good thing you took those lessons right?”

 

Having had enough Anahit yanked the quarter staff out of the dead woman’s hands. If anyone wanted to shout ‘thief’ she would slam the fucking thing into a knee. “And here Garrick told us that she was just some poor little dear who was getting threatened by big bad men.”

 

“I thought she was! I mean, Miss Silke told me that she was being threatened!” Garrick waved his arms around with widened eyes as if that would make them believe him better; Imoen had done the same trick much of her life.

 

“You owe us the four hundred gold. Or was she planning on killing us after we’d done her dirty work?” Anahit felt her anger rising as she kept on talking. How dare he try to trick them with his words and smiles? How dare he put her best friend in danger? “I think Imoen and I still get our gold for all that work.”

 

“Silke had the gold on her!” Garrick looked offended as Anahit bent down and grabbed the coin purse off of the woman’s body. “You’re just going to take her stuff?”

 

“I’m taking the staff and the gold promised to us. Come on Imoen let’s see if this gets us a room someplace.” Anahit grabbed ahold of the auburn haired human and dragged her along down the street back to where they had left Xzar. Imoen blew a raspberry at the group of men and grinned as she dropped the gem she’d managed to snatch into her pocket.

The center of the town held a total of zero wizards. Both young women looked at one another in a panic as thoughts of the dead rising from their graves and dancing across the town raced through Anahit’s mind. Oh Deneir what was she going to do? Was there some place that looked for crazy humans in town? Or perhaps some posters for lost things?

 

“Hello there little lady!” Anahit nearly jumped as someone called out behind them. Spinning around the dwarfling found herself face to face with a bald dwarf covered in rather scruffy armor. He was giving her a leering grin which she supposed was supposed to have her swooning. However the fact that he smelled like a brewery left alone too long and his few remaining teeth were caked in brown killed any chance of Anahit falling instantly in love. “Might I get to know the name of someone was pretty as you?”

 

“No.” What god had she pissed off lately?

 

“Aww come on little lady. Just a name and I’ll leave you alone!” Gorion had always told his daughter that ignoring pushy men was not bad manners. Not that many of the travelers to Candlekeep were interested in a dwarfling and the few that might have been would have been scared off Gorion’s overprotective nature. When the dwarf male didn’t take the hint and in fact got a bit closer Anahit wondered if hitting him over the head with her new staff would be worth the hassle. How had Imoen managed with all the noble brats that surrounded her when they had the chance?

 

“You know we don’t see many dwarflings in this area. Hells I’d say you’re the first one I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

 

“Shove off!” The dwarf grinned at the long haired dwarfling who took a step back.

 

“In fact I think I’ve only heard of one dwarfling in these parts. Named Anahit from Candlekeep.” The smile turned deadly as the axe in his hand went swinging towards Anahit. The metal smacked the leather of her armor and dug in causing Anahit to lose her footing as the dwarf pulled back his axe. Imoen kicked out at the man with all her might and managed to throw him slightly off balance giving Anahit enough time to take a couple steps back and bring her dagger up to fight. The dwarf grinned again as he looked at the almost useless piece of metal gleaming in the brown haired girl’s hand. Her crossbow was slung uselessly on her back and Anahit doubted that the weapon would do more than take one blow from the axe. People around her were screaming and running away and Imoen was trying to keep out of the axe’s swings as she grabbed for another arrow.

 

“Get him Sir Legs!” Anahit’s jaw dropped as a giant spider leaped upon the dwarf and began to jab fangs at the weak parts of his armor not seeming to care when a leg was chopped off. Imoen took the distraction in more stride and finally fired an arrow into the face of the dwarf earning a screech of pain that soon turned into bubbling gasps as the spider bit into the wound and the dwarf slide onto the ground dead.

Looking over her shoulder to where the yelling had come from Anahit spied Xzar waving at her, a grin on his face. “Ewwwwwww,” Imoen muttered as the spider skittered back to the wizard, its missing limb dragging behind it but with a complete lack of any fluids. “He zombified a spider?”

 

Deciding that she really did not want to know the hows or whys of zombifying a spider in such a sort amount of time Anahit gave an extremely grateful wave back as Montaron’s swearing came drifting over from at least two blocks away.


End file.
